A thorough account ideal for young history buffs.
Learn how one of George Washington’s most heroic actions was one of inaction.
In this exacting and verbose recounting, Roberts tracks Washington’s travels from Manhattan to Maryland following the defeat of the “mighty British Army.” Along the way, he’s feted by admiring crowds. Finally, he reaches his destination and the pivotal moment that Roberts has been musing over: What power will the influential Washington choose to exert? Will he become king? Instead, shocking everyone, Washington “bows to the citizens of his new country” and resigns. The book is laser-focused on this brief period and the moment Washington relinquishes authority to the people is powerful. But young people will need to navigate a fairly wordy narrative before arriving at this symbolic moment. Additionally, the book assumes readers have considerable prior knowledge about America’s birth. The work is clearly well researched, reflected in the thoughtful backmatter (which includes an afterword, a timeline, bibliography, and further reading), but some elements—for instance, how Washington’s commitment to democracy clashed with his role as a slave owner—would have felt more germane incorporated into the main text. Gilbert’s realistic, densely crosshatched art in subdued tones has a classical grandness befitting the book’s solemn topic; these sweeping spreads would look right at home on a museum wall. Figures from all walks of life, including elegant ballroom occupants, dark-skinned children perched in trees watching fireworks, and weary, tattered soldiers, have theatrical flair.
A thorough account ideal for young history buffs. (Informational picture book. 9-13)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
ISBN: 9781568464619
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
IN THE NEWS
A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves.
In 1776, some of the most respected men in Great Britain’s American Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, a revolutionary—but not necessarily transparent—document.
Although the declaration is one of the key documents of American history, its sometimes-archaic language may mystify young citizens of the 21st century. After a few pages of introductory information that describes the conflicts faced by colonists before the Revolutionary War, this effort presents the declaration line by line, explaining the concepts, defining confusing words and ideas, and illuminating the intent of the signers in the context of the time. Occasionally, in sections headed “Think Deeper,” the author asks pointed, thoughtful questions on a variety of issues that have never been fully resolved in the past 245 years, without devolving into revisionist history. The format places original text on verso with the translation on recto, but clever design keeps readers engaged. The double-page spreads are neatly laid out, many including portraits of Founding Fathers presented against appealing, brightly colored backgrounds that vary from spread to spread. A variety of maps, cartoon characters, and period illustrations extend the text. With a reading level appropriate to the upper grade schoolers who are often introduced to this tumultuous period of history, this engaging and surprisingly entertaining effort seems like the perfect choice to accompany and expand lesson plans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-638190-48-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Bushel & Peck Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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